Styles - Word for Mac 2011

The template uses a feature in Word called “styles.” A “style” is a set of formatting characteristics that is applied to a portion of text. These characteristics can include any elements that define the appearance of text in your document – font, font size, font color, bold, underline, line spacing, indentation, centering, numbering, etc.

A specific set of characteristics can be saved and given a name. For example, the style named “Body Text” is applied to paragraphs in the template. (In earlier versions of the template, this style was named “Normal“.) The style “Heading 1” is applied chapter headings in the template.

With a long document like an ETDR, it’s essential to use styles to create a structured document. This can be done by using the same style for similar elements in your document. For example, use the same style for all chapter headings. Use another style for all first-level subdivisions within a chapter.

If you need to change the appearance of your document, it’s easy to make changes in the appearance of the style which will then be reflected throughout your document. For example, to change all chapter headings from left-justified to centered, you only have to make one change to the style, rather than change each chapter heading. Details on how to modify styles are provided below.

Configure Word for working with styles

To work with styles, it’s best to have Word configured with these settings:

  • Use Draft view
  • Style Area visible (at left side)
  • Styles displayed in the Styles Toolbox (at right side)
  • Use Page Layout to check your page numbering
  • Display Field Shading
  • Display the Paste Options menu

The table below shows how to configure these settings.

Table 1. Basic Configuration for Word for Mac 2011

To make this setting

Follow this sequence of menus

Draft View
The Style Area is visible only in Draft View.

View | Draft

Style Area
Displays at the left side of the screen and shows Styles applied to each portion of your document.

1. Word | Preferences | View

2. In the Window section, set Style area width to 1”.

3. Click OK.

Styles Toolbox Displays at right side of screen and shows a list of available Styles.

1. View

2. Under Toolbox, click Styles.

Print Layout View Displays page numbers (not visible in Draft view)

View | Print Layout

Field Shading
Places a gray background in fields auto-generated by Word, including Table of Contents, List of Tables, etc.

1. Word | Preferences | View

2. In the Show section, set Field shading to Always.

3. Click OK.

Paste Options Displays the Paste Options menu after you paste a selection.

1. Word | Preferences | Edit

2. In the Cut and paste options section, checkmark Show Paste Options buttons.

3. Click OK.

Once you have Word configured in this way, your Draft view should look like this:

Figure 1. Style Area and Styles Toolbox

Image showing the Style Area and Styles Toolbox

The Style Area (at the left) indicates the style applied to a specific portion of text. Notice these styles in the figure above:

  • Heading 1 is applied to the “Chapter 2 - Review of Literature” title.
  • Heading 2 is applied to the “Introduction” subhead.
  • Body Text style is applied to the paragraphs. In earlier versions of the template, this style was named Normal. Normal and Body Text have the same formatting, so it's ok to use either style.

The Styles Toolbox displays a list of all available styles and is useful if you want to apply a different style to some text or to modify the appearance of a style.

Styles Used in the ETDR Template

The chart below shows the style applied to each section of the ETDR.

Table 2. ETDR Styles

ETDR section

Style

Subheading styles

Abstract title and title page text

Title Page

Copyright heading

Page Heading

Abstract heading

Page Heading

Table of Contents heading

Page Heading

List of Figures heading

Page Heading TOC

List of Tables heading

Page Heading TOC

Acknowledgements heading

Page Heading TOC

Dedication heading

Page Heading TOC

Preface heading

Page Heading TOC

Chapter heading

Chapter 1- Heading 1

Headings 2, 3, 4

References/Bibliography heading

Page Heading TOC

References/Bibliography entries

Bibliography

Appendix heading

Appendix A - Heading 6

Headings 7, 8, 9

Text (abstract, chapters, appendix)

Body Text or Normal

Apply a different style

As you work with your document, you may need to change the style assigned to a particular portion of text. Follow these steps:

  1. In the Style Area at the left, click the style on the text you want to change. This selects all the text that is using that style.
  2. In the Styles Toolbox at the right, click the style you want to apply.

For example, to change a subheading from “Heading 2” to “Heading 3”, click “Heading 2” in the left Style Area to select the subheading, then click “Heading 3” in the Styles Toolbox at the right. It’s that simple!

Modify a style

Styles in the template meet all formatting requirements of the Graduate School. If you want to make any changes in this formatting, it’s best to use the Modify Styles feature. It’s possible to make extensive changes in the appearance of a style, but the basic steps are as follows:

  1. In the Styles Toolbox, point to the style you want to modify. A down arrow will appear. Pull down the arrow and click Modify Style.
  2. In the Modify Style window, select the formatting changes you want.
  3. To see more options, click the Format menu and select the attribute you want to change — such as Font, Paragraph, or Numbering.
  4. Click OK after you've modified the attribute.
  5. Repeat this process for any other attributes you want to change.